In August 2022, I was having stomach issues. I had been for a year or so periodically, but this was different. I couldn't keep any food down for about two weeks, so I decided to go to urgent care.

While there, they took my blood pressure, and it was really high. They prescribed me a blood pressure pill, gave me a GI cocktail, ordered labs, and told me to wait. When they came back, the doctor came in and asked me if I ever had kidney problems. I said I had some elevated numbers a year ago, but the doctor thought it was dehydration.

She said that she had to admit me to figure out why my kidneys weren't working.

I was in the hospital for 5 days...

There, I started dialysis, got a kidney biopsy, and went on some meds in hopes that I would get my kidney function back.

I went home with the same hope and an appointment at DaVita.

My kidneys never regained function.

The whole time I thought I was having stomach issues, I was basically being poisoned by my own body because my kidneys weren't filtering out the toxins in my blood. If I had waited any longer, I probably could have even died.

So we then figured out what to do next.

While on temporary hemodialysis, I decided that I wanted to switch to peritoneal dialysis (PD) so that I could do it at home and start the transplant process.

Hemodialysis is so rough on the body and heart. And you have to be there three days a week, 4 hours a day.

I can do PD at home, but I have to be connected to my machine 12 hours a day. I'm dependent on this machine to stay healthy, along with up to 31 pills a day and an injection or three every week, depending on my hemoglobin numbers.

In addition to all of that, from May to August 2023, I went completely blind due to excess calcium in my system. I got my eyesight back, and even though it's not 100%, and not enough to be able to drive, I am so grateful that I have any sight at all. Every few months, I still have to painfully get my eyes scraped to prevent it from happening again.

Before I got sick, I was working on a food truck. That dream has completely stalled because I'm dependent on my machine, have so many appointments, or am too tired to continue working on it.

These two years have been tough on my daughter, who is too young to know what dialysis is.

She has been a champ and the best little helper I could ask for.

When I was blind, she even helped me get around. I couldn't ask for a better kid.

Outside of myself, it has been the hardest on my wife.

She has been a superhero through all of this. She has been so strong and taken over so many responsibilities. I am so grateful for her and everything she has done and sacrificed for our family.

These two years have been really rough on my family.

With all that said, there's finally light at the end of the tunnel.

My mom, Avis, is a hero. She donated her kidney and saved two lives. The person that she directly donated to, and now mine.

On December 10th, I'll be finally getting my kidney transplant!

Which also means next year I might be able to get my eyes fixed too!

We are more than excited as a family, but we need your help.

If you know me, you know how hard it is for me to ask for this, but we need donations.

I will need to relocate to San Diego for a minimum of a month after my surgery, which means lodging costs, groceries, new medications, travel, not to mention the bills that will still need to be paid at home.

I would never ask for help if it wasn't genuinely needed.

Please share and help my story get out there.

We're almost at the finish line!

Thank you for your support!